It’s interesting to note that the issues we face today, with regard to trade across borders, are very similar to the issues our forefathers faced 106 years ago.

Today we worry about protectionist Tariff$ preventing our products from being competitive in the USA. Back then we worried about their products coming across the border without any protection, for us, from Tariff$ of any sort.

In the Feb 17 Evening Sun you can read more about this in the article titled “Board Of Trade”. The Vernon Board of Trade had asked the Grand Forks Board of Trade to join it in sending a delegation to Ottawa to ‘make representations against placing fruit and vegetables on the free list’. One would assume the ‘free list’ is the items not having any Tariff$ added to them when they cross the border.

But the opinions on this were divided: apparently not everyone was in agreement on what should be on or off the free list.

This whole idea of ‘trade’ and ‘free lists’ and US/Canada relations was being hammered out right about ‘now’ back then in 1911. For a taste of the discussion and climate check out these links.

President Taft speaks about this on January 26 – read the text here.

The last major attempt at reciprocity was negotiated in 1911 by the Laurier government. More on he history of Trade between the US and Canada can be read in this article in the Canadian Encyclopedia.

You can read more on this or other items of the day, the 1911 ‘day’ that is, on our Old Newspapers page.